Chin Up

This is an autobiography written in the midst of a career. The glory and glamour. The suffering and solitude. In real time.

At 14, I scored on my debut for Singapore and became the youngest goal scorer for my nation. At 18, I stood in front of the Yellow Wall in the Signal Iduna Park, celebrating our league title with Borussia Dortmund in front of more than 80,000 people. And at 20, I achieved my dream of becoming a professional player, signing for Brisbane Roar.

And yet. My first season as a professional was one of the hardest I have had. Instead of proving myself on the field, I found myself on a surgeon's table in Australia. Was this the life I dreamed of?

From Singapore to London to Dortmund to Brisbane, and now in Tokyo, these are the intricacies of a dream being chased and what happens once you catch it.